Succulent Salads For Summer

With summer finally at our doorsteps, perhaps the time is right to introduce our wonderful readers to some fresh salad ideas.

Narrowing down the list is hard, but what I'll try to do is list some salad ideas that require more than simply pouring salad dressing over lettuce leaves.

So, without any further ado, let's get the ball rolling.

caesar salad

The first question that needs answering is whether the salad will be served as an appetizer or entrée. This not only makes a difference in portion, but what ingredients to use as well.

Salads are great with just about any meal. Obviously, if you are having pasta, then a nice Caesar salad is an excellent choice.

For a perfect Caesar salad, I recommend that you prepare the dressing yourself.

Crush 3 cups of croutons

Add 5 minced garlic cloves

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

1 entire lemon (well, the juice...)

Top it off with some Worcestershire sauce

Blend all the ingredients in a mixer and add some olive oil (half a cup at most), until the sauce is creamy. Once the dressing is ready, set it aside.

Take romaine lettuce, wash it thoroughly. Chop it up nice. (One thing I definitely recommend is a salad spinner; seriously, there is nothing I hate more than wet lettuce.) Then, take the wet lettuce and drain it in the spinner.

Once the lettuce is dry, place it in a bowl, add the dressing, croutons, sprinkle on some bacon bits (a purist would do this from scratch, but I will spare you this time), and sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese. Toss that salad and you won't know what hit you.

This is perfect as an appetizer, but if you are a lover of salads, then let's upgrade this puppy to the main meal category. How so? Simple; take a nice filet of grilled chicken, slice it into thin strips, and lay them over the salad. This is a meal to perfection — not too heavy and not too light. I eat it often and suggest you give it a try.